Out In the Deep

Archive for January, 2012|Monthly archive page


Lovingkindness Filling The Earth

In Devotional on January 18, 2012 at 9:11 am

“The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the LORD.”  (Psalm 33:5)

How can a loving God allow evil?  This is so asked of believers with the naive assumption of originality as if it never occurred to the best minds of the Western Intellectual tradition in the last two thousand years that evil exists.  In fact, the reality of a fallen humanity and a fallen world gives adequate explanation of why humans are cruel to other humans.  What is rarely asked is the opposite.  How does an atheist explain good in the world?   Just as evil points to a fallen humanity, so the good about us in sunny days, stirring art, caring relationships, tasty food and satisfying accomplishments point to the pouring forth of a loving God.


Enough Yet?

In Devotional on January 16, 2012 at 3:46 pm

“Woe to those who add house to house and join field to field, until there is no more room.”  (Isaiah 5:8)

There comes a point where I have to say enough.  One would think that I own plenty of items to live a very satisfactory life but the television keeps telling me that I need more.  I need something that works faster, something that is more feature-rich, something that would make things more convenient, and something more satisfying.  Most of my unsolicited mail goes into the trash but often a glossy finds a home in the mail basket as I think, “Now there is something I could use.”  Contentment is a skittish virtue, always wanting to retreat at the face of the next item that has attracted my eye.  But there comes a point where I have to say enough.


He Calls Us Anyway

In Devotional on January 15, 2012 at 6:59 am

“He told me all the things that I have done.”  (John 4:39)

Jesus asked a marginalized outcast for a drink of water.  He proceeded to show her that He knew her better than she knew herself.  She deflected that it was really a heady doctrinal issue – something about a differing perspective about worship among the Jews and Samaritan’s.   But the issue was her and the message was clear – I know your sins, your inconsistencies, your failures, your doubts, your fears, your thirst.  Yet, in spite of that, I want you to come and drink of the Living Water anyway.   We come to Christ as sinners and then spend the rest of our time trying to prove to Him that we are now righteous.  Jesus knows the secrets of our hearts and calls us anyway.


Go and Preach the Gospel

In Devotional on January 14, 2012 at 8:44 am

“And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.’” (Mark 16:15)

The disciples went forth and preached everywhere they could.  Evident signs and fruit followed them.  Today, we have become beneficiaries of this line of testimony that spread throughout the world and into many different cultures, lands and traditions.  It is all because of that initial command of Jesus.  What do we do now?  Take the gospel that you know and is real in your life and use the means and medium you find to continue to preach it forth.  Don’t get hung up with the other people’s “how tos”.  Don’t feel that her method should be your method.  One man’s tract distribution is another man’s reasoned conversation over coffee is another man’s painting is another man’s thoughtful letter to a friend is another man’s spontaneous conversation in the gym.  Think of what has changed your life and the way you are best able to communicate.  Then go forth into the world as a Christian who has good news.


Light In Our Heart

In Devotional on January 13, 2012 at 4:42 pm

“For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6)

Who could have conceived light?  And even if such a theoretical abstraction could have been comprehended, who could have brought it to pass?  The sovereign creativity of God to bring forth what to us would have been unthinkable is staggering.  This artistic endeavor of the Divine is used to illustrate the similar work of enlightening my heart.  Isn’t the knowledge of God obvious?  Isn’t the astounding wonder of God with us in Christ a given of Christian theology?  Only because God turned on the switch in my heart.


A New Low

In Devotional on January 11, 2012 at 4:40 pm

“If Cain is avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.”  (Genesis 4:24)

When Adam rebelled, he hid in shame and was consequently removed from the garden.  When Cain murdered, it was worse.  He challenged his punishment and claimed God’s questions were irrelevant.  But what do you make of Lamech?  What do you make of a society that has degenerated so deeply that it is enthusiastically writing poetry about sin?  When sin enters a society, it only goes downhill.  It always gets worse.  But the line of Seth holds promise.  It will take a while but the line will eventually make its way to Jesus and He shall save his people from their sins.


Internal and External

In Devotional on January 10, 2012 at 11:10 am

“And rend your heart and not your garments.”  (Joel 2:13)

Internal change over externalism has always been the goal that God has sought.  Religious formalism never substitutes for inward reality.  But what do we do get this inward response?  Now, there is the catch.  For this too is a gift of grace.  God orchestrates circumstances, trials, teachings, relationships so that we come to the place that we sense our powerlessness and embrace the fact that God is everything.  “Change my heart, O God” is a prayer we can confidently pray knowing that it is the very thing God wants to do.


Not Ashamed to call us Brethren

In Devotional on January 9, 2012 at 8:27 pm

“But go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.”  (John 20:17)

Jesus had every right to be ashamed of his disciples.  They had denounced Him and forsaken Him.  All of their promises proved empty.  Yet Jesus calls them “My brethren.”  They were in the family.  They were children of God.  My suspicions that Jesus should be ashamed of me are true.  My denials and failures are evident and recent.  Yet He is not ashamed to call us brethren.  I listen no longer to the calling shame but to the cheerful invitation of Elder Brother.


Premeditation

In Devotional on January 8, 2012 at 1:23 pm

“Woe to those who scheme iniquity, who work out evil on their beds! When morning comes, they do it, for it is in the power of their hands.”  (Micah 2:1)

There have been times when I was hurt and angry and I thought impulsively about how I would like to harm the person who did me wrong.  After a good night’s sleep, I realized I would do no such thing and either dropped the matter or dealt with the conflict in a healthy way.  There is a kind of evil that is premeditated – an evil that takes on clear, rehearsed plans and specifics and is carried out after much meditation.  This is why resentment is so dangerous.  It takes what begins as a hurt (possibly deserved) and replays it until it becomes the murder of innocent Abel.  We cannot afford the luxury of resentment.  It will take us into evil depths we must not enter.


The Cost Of Pride

In Devotional on January 8, 2012 at 7:03 am

“How you have fallen, O start of the morning, son of the dawn!”  (Isaiah 14:12)

C. S. Lewis said that Satan would cure us from any sin as long as he could replace it with pride.  Lucifer was a magnificent, privileged being.  It was pride that brought him down to be a pathetic but dangerously insane clown.  When all that he had was not enough he boasted, “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”   The subtlety of pride begins when we think all the blessings God has given us are not enough.  Gratitude is the opposite.

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